Pirates of the Caribbean – the Curse of the Black Pearl
ELIZABETH It’s-beautiful. May I inquire as to the occasion?
SWANN Is an occasion necessary for a father to dote upon his daughter with gifts?
Elizabeth happily takes it, goes behind a screened-off dressing area. Estrella follows, carrying the box.
SWANN (CONT’D) Although … I did think you could wear it to the ceremony today.
ELIZABETH (O.S.) Ceremony?
SWANN Captain Norrington’s promotion ceremony.
Elizabeth peeks around the screen.
ELIZABETH I knew it.
SWANN Or, rather, Commodore Norrington … a fine gentleman, don’t you think? (no answer) He fancies you, you know.
Behind the screen, Elizabeth GASPS.
SWANN (CONT’D) Elizabeth? How’s it coming?
ON ELIZABETH-She holds her hair and the medallion (still around her neck) out of the way as the maid cinches her into a corset over her slip. Estrella has her foot in Elizabeth’s back as she pulls the laces tight.
ELIZABETH Difficult … to say.
SWANN (O.S.) I’m told that dress is the very latest fashion in London.
ELIZABETH (holding her breath) Women in London must have learned to not breathe.
Estrella is finished. Elizabeth takes a breath-and winces.
A butler appears in the doorway of the room.
BUTLER Governor? A caller is here for you.
INT. GOVERNOR’S MANSION – FOYER – DAY
The caller, dressed in rough clothing, stands in the foyer, looking very out of place, and knowing it. He holds a long presentation case. He polishes the toes of his boots on the back of his calves, but it doesn’t help.
SWANN Ah, Mr. Turner! It’s good to see you again!
The caller turns-it is WILL TURNER. Handsome, with a watchful demeanor that gives him a weight beyond his years.
WILL Good day, sir. (holds out the case) I have your order.
Swann hurries to him, opens the case. Inside is a beautiful dress sword and scabbard. Swann takes it out reverently.
WILL (CONT’D) The blade is folded steel. That’s gold filigree laid into the handle. If I may- He takes the sword from Swann, and balances it on one finger at the point where the blade meets the guard.
WILL (CONT’D) Perfectly balanced. The tang is nearly the full width of the blade.
SWANN Impressive … very impressive. Commodore Norrington will be pleased, I’m sure. Do pass my compliments on to your master.
Will’s face falls. Clearly, the work is his, and he is proud of it. With practiced ease, he flips the sword around, catches it by the hilt and returns it to the case.
WILL (bows slightly) I shall. A craftsman is always pleased to hear his work is appreciated- He stops speaking abruptly, staring past Swann- Elizabeth stands on the stairs. Granted, the dress may be painful to wear, but holy smokes!
SWANN Elizabeth! You look stunning!
Will tries to speak, but can’t. He gives up, smiles to himself, and simply nods emphatically.
ELIZABETH Will! It’s so good to see you!
Her hand goes to the chain around her throat (the medallion is hidden in the bodice of her dress).
ELIZABETH (CONT’D) I dreamt about you last night.
Will reacts with surprise: “Really?”
SWANN Elizabeth, this is hardly appropriate- ELIZABETH (ignores her father) About the day we met. Do you remember?
WILL I could never forget it, Miss Swann.
ELIZABETH Will, how many times must I ask you to call me ‘Elizabeth’?
WILL At least once more, Miss Swann. As always.
Elizabeth is disappointed and little hurt by his responce.
SWANN Well said! There’s a boy who understands propriety. Now, we must be going.
Swann takes the case from Will, opens the door for Elizabeth.
Elizabeth straightens her back, gathers her skirts and strides past Will.
ELIZABETH Good day, Mr. Turner.
EXT. GOVERNOR’S MANSION – DAY
Swann follows Elizabeth out the door.
WILL Good day.
He watches as she is helped aboard a carriage by the driver.
WILL (CONT’D) (to himself) Elizabeth.
IN THE CARRIAGE: Swann glowers at his daughter.
SWANN Dear, I do hope you demonstrate a bit more decorum in front of Commodore Norrington. After all, it is only through his efforts that Port Royal has become at all civilized.
EXT. PORT ROYAL – HARBOR – DAY
The skeletal remains of four pirates, still clad in buccaneer rags, hang from gallows erected on a rocky promontory. There is a fifth, unoccupied gallow, bearing a sign:
PIRATES – YE BE WARNED The top of a billowing sail passes regally in front of them. On the landward face of the sail, apparently high in the rigging, is a man for whom the term ‘swashbuckling rogue’ was coined: Captain JACK SPARROW.
He gazes keen-eyed at the display as they pass. Raises a tankard in salute. Suddenly, something below catches his attention. He jumps from the rigging–and that’s when we see that his ship is not an imposing three-master, but just a small fishing dory with a single sail, plowing through the water-the Jolly Mon.
And it leaks. Which is why he has the tankard: to bail.
Jack steps back to the tiller, and using a single sheet to control the sail, and the Jolly Mon comes around the promontory, the whole of Port Royal laid out before him.
The huge British dreadnaught, H.M.S. Dauntless dominates the bay. But Jack’s attention is on a different ship: the H.M.S. Interceptor, a small sleek vessel with rail guns and a mortor in the middle of the main deck. It is tied up at the Navy landing, at the base of the cliffs below Fort Charles.
EXT. PORT ROYAL – DOCKS – DAY
Smoothly and with no wasted movement, Jack hauls down the sail, stows it, guides the dory alongside a dock. The HARBORMASTER, a long ledger tucked under his arm, is there to catch the line and help Jack tie up.
HARBORMASTER If you’re rolling scuppers in this tub, you’re either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid.
JACK It’s remarkable how often those two traits coincide.
He starts up the dock, starpping on his sword belt; besides the scabbard, it also carries a compass, pistol and small powder horn. The Harbormaster cuts him off.
HARBORMASTER It’s a shilling for the dock space, and you’re going to have to give me your name.
JACK What do you sat three shillings, and we forget the name?
He tosses three shillings onto the ledger. The Harbormaster considers, then shuts the ledger on the coins, steps aside.
HARBORMASTER Welcome to Port Royal, Mr. Smith.
Jack gives him a half-salute as he goes past. Looks across the water toward the Interceptor-and smiles. Above the Interceptor, among the parapets of Fort Charles, a ceremony is underway- EXT. FORT CHARLES – DAY
With choreographed percision, Swann removes the sword and scabbard from the presentation case, held by a uniformed Navy man. He slides the sword into the scabbard, holds it out vertically to Norrington, in full dress uniform.
Norrington grasps the scabbard above Swann’s hand, and Swann lets go. Norrington draws the sword, flourishes the sword, and snaps the blade up in front of his face. Swann steps forward, pins a medal to Norrington’s jacket, steps back.
Norrington nods, turns smartly and nods to his fellow officers, turns again and nods to the audience-dignitaries, merchants, plantation owners, their families. Another flourish, and he returns the sword to its scabbard.
The silence is broken loud APPLAUSE. Backslapping from the Navy men.
In the audience, Elizabeth doesn’t look so good, out beneath the hot sun. She applauds briefly, then winces. Discretely tries to adjust the corset through the material of the dress, then resumes clapping, trying to hide her discomfort.
EXT. PORT ROYAL – NAVY DOCK – DAY
Two sailors on sentry duty, MURTOGG and MULLROY, take advantage of what little shade there is on the dock. But when Jack saunters up, they are immediately on alert.
MURTOGG This dock is off-limits to civilians.
JACK Sorry, I didn’t know.
Music drifts down from Fort Charles. Jack looks up, shields his eyes.
JACK (CONT’D) Some sort of to-do up at the fort, eh? You two weren’t invited?
MURTOGG No … somone has to make sure this dock stays off-limits to civilians.
JACK This must be some important boat.
MULLROY Ship.
JACK Ship.
MURTOGG Captain Norrington’s made it his flagship. He’ll use it to hunt down the last dregs of piracy on the Spanish Lake.
MULLOY Commodore.
MURTOGG Right. Commodore Norrington.
JACK That’s a fine goal, I’m sure … But it seems to me a ship like that- (indicates the Dauntless) -makes this one here just a wee superflous.
MURTOGG Oh, the Dauntless is the power in these waters, true enough-but there’s no ship that can match the Interceptor for speed.
JACK That so? I’ve heard of one, supposed to be fast, neigh uncatchable … the Black Pearl?
Mullroy scoffs at the name.
